by Shaun Curry
CHAPTER SIXTY
18 July 1626
The forest contained massive sugi trees, their gnarled trunks creating huge pillars topped by evergreen foliage, while at their feet grew smaller deciduous trees and brush. Joaquim was sharing the burden of carrying Akihiko with Master Watanabe when he heard a commotion at the back of the procession. As he looked, he saw several villagers gathered around something. ‘What’s happened?’ he yelled, concerned that the slowest had fallen far behind.
‘It’s Tonia, Father. She’s fallen. Come quickly!’
Joaquim left Akihiko with Watanabe and ran back to Tonia.
‘She’s lost a great deal of blood, Father,’ Noboru said. He lifted the cloth covering her injury, and Joaquim winced at its severity. The stomach wound, with the stub of a protruding piece of wood still present, was severe and oozing significant blood. Tonia looked ashen.
‘Why did someone not tell me about her wound?’ Joaquim asked, frustrated.
‘She kept it to herself,’ Noboru answered.
‘Leave me, Father,’ Tonia moaned. ‘I cannot go on.’
‘You can, and you will.’ Joaquim knelt beside her, brushing her black hair away from her face.
Kazuo, an old villager who had seen many wounds in his time, inspected Tonia. He looked up at Joaquim and shook his head. ‘I don’t think she’ll survive, Father. Her wound is great, and she continues to lose much blood.’
‘She will be all right,’ Joaquim insisted, tears stinging his eyes.
‘I’m sorry, Father.’ Tonia shivered, her words struggling to be heard. ‘I feel so cold and tired.’ Closing her eyes, she drifted into unconsciousness.
Watanabe stepped forward. ‘There is a way to save her. You could heal her.’
The priest’s heart skipped a beat, and he frowned. ‘What do you mean?’
‘The healing power of God.’
‘Our Lord Jesus could heal through miracles, but I am not He.’
‘But His power is also in you.’
‘I wish that were true, but He is the Lord; I am only His servant.’
Watanabe quickly removed the wood splinter and soaked up the fresh bleeding it caused.
Then he told Joaquim, ‘Let us both place our hands on her wound. Close your eyes, Father, and give me your hand.’
Father Joaquim grabbed the man’s hand. Together, Father Joaquim and Master Watanabe closed their eyes and pressed firmly on Tonia’s wound.
‘Do you believe God can heal her, Father?’
‘Yes, I do.’
‘But do you truly believe, Father?’
‘Yes.’
‘I want you to know God will heal her.’
‘Yes, Master Watanabe. I know He will.’
‘It’s not enough. You must feel He will heal her. Can you feel it, Father? Can you?’
‘I feel it,’ said Father Joaquim. He felt flushed and warm, and somehow slightly dizzy and outside his own body while still partly in it.
‘Thank God for healing her, Joaquim. I want you to thank God from the bottom of your heart for bringing her back to you.’
‘Yes.’
‘Feel this thankfulness for God’s mercy.’
‘I feel it!’ Joaquim replied, tears of joy streaming down his face, as a sense of warmth emanated around her wound and his own strength appeared to diminish. ‘Thank you, God, thank you, for bringing this woman back to us!’
‘In the name of our Creator, the Source of our Spirit, we pronounce the healing of Tonia, and so it is!’ Watanabe declared.
‘And so it is,’ Joaquim echoed.
But despite the successful transfer of energy, it wasn’t that easy. After doing their best to stitch and bind her wound, blood continued to seep from it. They had to change the bandages frequently and she fluctuated in and out of consciousness, as her temperature rose. At one point, Tonia stopped breathing and everyone thought she was dead. But then life suddenly returned, and she gasped and moaned and started to breathe again.
It took two days for her to noticeably start to heal, but gradually the wound closed, her temperature lessened, and the bleeding stopped. Joaquim, Watanabe, and the villagers huddled around the young catechist as she slept. Several of the villagers also took advantage of this pause in their travels to take a much-needed rest. In the evening of the second day Tonia’s eyes flickered. Father Joaquim, whose gaze had never moved from observing her, was changing her dressing. He noticed at once. He touched her cheek. ‘Welcome back,’ he whispered.
Tonia rubbed her eyes. Looking at Father Joaquim, she said, ‘I had the strangest dream . . . and I feel . . .’ She placed her other hand on her stomach. ‘I feel better.’
As she looked closer, she saw that her wound, although still raw and purple, was healing, and the bleeding appeared to have stopped.
Father Joaquim lifted Tonia and embraced her, repeating, ‘Thank You, Lord. Thank You.’
Watanabe placed his hand on the priest’s shoulder. ‘We need to move on now, Father. We are still being hunted.’
In their concern for Tonia, they had almost forgotten the Shogun and his army. But now, rested, they needed to continue their journey. Their lives still hung in the balance.
CHAPTER SIXTY-ONE
19 July 1626
After marching all night through thick mountainous forest, the villagers approached the edge of Nagasaki with caution.
Three men, appearing to be guards, sat washing their feet in a stream below.
‘Tell Father Joaquim,’ whispered Noboru to his companions. He volunteered to remain as a lookout.
‘Did they see you?’ Joaquim asked when he slid next to Noboru.
‘No.’
‘Show me.’
Moments later, hiding behind a boxwood shrub with Noboru, Joaquim peered down the mountainside, observing the three officials below. The officials sat on large rocks, chatting and watching the gentle running waters of a small stream. For sure, Joaquim thought, these soldiers had been posted to this remote location to crack down on clandestine travel in and out of the city.
‘What shall we do, Father? Shall we head in another direction?’
‘No. We’ll capture them.’
‘Capture them?’ Noboru’s wide eyes revealed his surprise. ‘But what if more are down there, out of our sight? Or what if they escape? They could amass an army to pursue us!’
Joaquim said confidently, ‘They won’t escape.’
* * *
Ten minutes later, Father Joaquim carried Akihiko down the mountain, towards the creek, making no effort at stealth, crashing along the path, talking in a loud voice. When they reached the spot where the officials had been washing their feet, the area was empty.
‘Halt where you are!’ An official shouted, and he and his companions burst from their cover.
Leaving Akihiko on the ground, Joaquim turned and fled up the side of the mountain.
‘I said, don’t move!’ the official yelled. He chased Joaquim and hauled him back to his companions guarding Akihiko at the creek side. ‘You, gaijin, are under arrest. Wait until the Governor sees what we have captured.’
‘Are you sure you captured us?’ the priest asked. He pointed over the guard’s shoulder.
‘What?’ The guards spun around, scanning their surroundings.
A group of ragged-looking peasants ran down the side of the creek, charging towards them. Confused by their greater numbers, the guards turned to flee, only to see another group running at them from the other side. Then from a third direction came several more, all armed with thick branches, large rocks, and other makeshift weapons.
‘Drop your swords,’ Joaquim said.
Overwhelmed by the futility of their situation, the officials surrendered. As the villagers grabbed them by their uniforms, they looked humiliated, and dipped their chins to their chests.
Noboru asked, ‘Do we kill them?’
‘There’s no need,’ Joaquim answered. ‘God creates life; He does not destroy it. We will follow the
same principles.’
‘So we take them as prisoners?’
‘Did you enjoy being a prisoner, Noboru-san?’
‘No.’
‘Then why would you subject them to captivity?’
Frustrated, Noboru said, ‘Because they would do it to us!’
‘We do not seek to avenge anyone. We seek only our freedom and to give that which we wish to receive.’ Father Joaquim smiled.
‘What do you mean?’ Now Noboru looked puzzled.
‘We let them go.’
‘What? Why did we capture them only to let them go?’
‘To deliver a message to the Governor and the authorities.’ Father Joaquim scanned the villagers before speaking loud enough for all to hear. ‘We will give the authorities what they want – a final confrontation. We will unite all hidden Christians on the island of Kyushu and win back our freedom. I’m tired of hiding. Don’t you agree?’
Some in the village looked confused and fearful at the outrageous suggestion.
Taro, one of the captured guards, stepped forward.
‘I will deliver your message to the Governor.’
‘Tell him Father Joaquim will unite a colossal force and will meet his army in Omura at dawn, if he has the courage to come.’
* * *
‘Governor! Governor Kawachi!’
‘What is all the commotion?’ Governor Kawachi answered. ‘Now is not a good time. I’m meeting with the Deputy-Lieutenant.’
‘But it’s urgent, Governor,’ Taro insisted, breathless. ‘The Christians have challenged us to war!’
‘What?’
‘A foreign father and his band of Christians captured us.’
‘You mean you captured them!’
‘No, Governor, they captured us. They were forty in number, and we were but three.’
‘How is it possible that forty Christians roam free?’ the Governor asked, wide-eyed.
‘I don’t know, Governor, but I recognized some of them. I have seen them before.’
‘Where?’
‘Here, Governor, in Nagasaki. You declared them guilty and instructed Daimyo Shigemasa to take them to Edo. It was Father Joaquim, Governor.’
‘That’s impossible!’
‘No, Governor, I spoke with him face to face.’
‘How can that be?’ the Governor repeated. ‘How could that be the least bit possible?’
‘Could the priest have escaped a second time?’ Deputy Suetsugu asked in shock.
‘No one could be that lucky,’ the Governor said. ‘How could anyone escape the Shogun’s grip?’
‘It was him, Governor,’ Taro affirmed. ‘And he challenges you to war.’
‘How can a group of Christians wage war against the regime? It’s ridiculous.’
‘He says he’s amassed a colossal force against us, Governor; that he has united all hidden Christians on Kyushu.’
‘Is it possible, Deputy? Could he accomplish such a thing?’
‘If he unites all the hidden Christians and the ronin together, it is possible. There have always been whispers that a rebellion could rise one day.’
‘He said Christians are tired of hiding, Governor,’ Taro added. ‘He said it’s time to reclaim their freedom. And he said he challenges your army to meet him in the fields of Omura next to the bay at dawn.’ He paused as he cleared his throat: ‘. . . if you have enough courage to face him.’
‘If I have enough courage? Me? He has the audacity to challenge me? And question my courage? I will bury this priest.’
For a moment, the Governor dreamed of his sweeping victory over the underground Christians. If they all came out of hiding, and he annihilated them in one broad military stroke, the Shogun would shower lavish incredible praise and rewards upon him for such a decisive victory so soon into his post. In the eyes of the regime, they would hail him as a hero.
‘What shall we do, Governor?’
‘We will utilize every force available to us. I will wipe this vermin from the face of the earth! Call on every samurai and official capable of bearing arms.’ The Governor turned again to his deputy-lieutenant. ‘Summon Daimyo Shigemasa at once. This war will take place on his lands. Command him to bring every samurai he has – no exceptions. Then summon anyone in the regime who can bear arms, but not our prison guards. Those incarcerated must remain so.’
‘Is that it, Governor?’
‘No. Make sure you communicate one thing to all our forces: I will be the one to cut off the priest’s head in battle. I will finally put this dog to death!’
CHAPTER SIXTY-TWO
19 July 1626
Shimabara Castle
‘Is this a joke?’ Shigemasa asked as he read the letter from Governor Kawachi.
‘No, Lord, it is not,’ Taro confirmed.
‘But I have just returned from delivering this priest to the Shogun.’
‘It is real, Daimyo Shigemasa, and the Governor orders you to make preparations at once. Will you comply?’
‘Of course, I will comply. Like the Shogun, I despise these Christians.’ Still astonished at the news, Shigemasa added, ‘I shall mobilize my entire clan right away. Every samurai under my command will present himself at dawn for battle. The Christians almost cost me my son when he rode to Nagasaki. I will see all of them dead.’
By some miracle, shepherds had found Katsuie wandering, grievously injured, in the remote mountains, his mount dead on the jagged rocks below. Recognized and returned to his father’s house, he had yet to recall his identity, but was alive – for now.
By instinct, the hardened warlord gripped his sword next to his hip as he responded.
Taro nodded. ‘The Governor and the Deputy-Lieutenant will join you on the battlefield.’
Taro and the other two officials bowed and left, leaving Shigemasa surrounded by his most senior retainers and samurai.
‘How could that wretched priest escape the Shogun and get back to Nagasaki so fast?’ Shigemasa asked as he paced. ‘If this Christian army somehow took control of even a part of my domain, the Shogun will take all my lands.’
He nodded his head, as if affirming his own words. ‘By dawn, I want my entire army on the battlefield, ready to obliterate these Christians once and for all. Tomorrow, this priest’s luck runs out, and every Christian alongside him will perish!’
* * *
20 July 1626
Deputy Suetsugu’s Warehouse, Port of Nagasaki
Hundreds of battle-experienced samurai either rode or marched hurriedly to join forces at Omura preparing for the battle with the Christians. The governor’s entire legion had left Nagasaki at a forced march, and the city was now eerily quiet.
The evening peace was interrupted by a group of men cautiously approaching the prison warehouse, though they made no real effort at stealth. Several of the dozen men assigned to guard the warehouse came to investigate.
‘What are you still doing in Nagasaki?’ Noboru asked. Like the two men beside him, he was dressed in the uniform of an official of the Governor. ‘Do you not know a war is about to begin?’
‘We are guarding this warehouse, as the Governor ordered us to do.’
‘What, are you cowards? Why have you not presented yourself for battle in Omura?’
‘We told you: the Governor instructed us to watch over the warehouse.’
‘The Governor ordered twelve men to look after a bunch of helpless women and children? What kind of men are you?’
‘What is the purpose of your questioning?’ asked the lead guard. He peered more closely at the new officials, whom he had never seen before.
‘The Governor has ordered us to inspect the city for cowards hiding from battle. Where do you think the Governor needs you most?’ Noboru pressed. ‘On the battlefield facing the enemy, or standing in front of a locked warehouse full of crippled, harmless women? Which action carries greater honour?’
‘To fight in battle,’ one of the younger guards answered as he dropped his chin to his chest.
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br /> ‘We cannot all go,’ another guard replied. ‘Some of us have to remain to watch the warehouse. Three of us will stay. The rest will go to battle.’
‘Good,’ Noboru answered. ‘The Governor needs every man available.’
‘It must have been a miscommunication regarding our numbers,’ the lead guard suggested. ‘We are not cowards.’
‘Show it with your actions. Show it on the battlefield.’ Noboru nodded curtly and turned and walked away. His two companions followed him.
Two hours later a lone figure approached the three remaining guards.
‘Halt,’ the most senior guard yelled. ‘Move and we will kill you.’
‘I’ve come to offer you a chance to live,’ Father Joaquim said matter-of-factly.
‘What?’ the senior guard said. He scrutinized the priest’s rugged features. Recognition slowly dawned on him. ‘Wait. I know you. You’re the gaijin priest who’s leading the rebellion.’
‘I’ve come to offer you a chance to live.’
‘You offer the three of us a chance to live? You should worry about your life, priest.’
‘Do you see those men out there?’ Father Joaquim asked. ‘They are the fathers and brothers of the women and children in that warehouse.’ In the dark, the guards could only see faint outlines, enough to reveal many men, but not enough to reveal their emaciated, weakened condition.
‘They are Christians outlawed by the regime,’ the senior guard said. ‘They deserve death and torture.’
Ignoring the guard’s rant, Joaquim continued: ‘The Lord has mercy for those who repent – and so do I.’
‘You were unwise to come here alone,’ the senior guard said as he drew his sword.
‘Apologize and ask the Lord for forgiveness and you may live,’ Joaquim offered. ‘Do it not and your fate rests with the fathers and brothers on the hill.’
‘I will cut your head off, priest.’
Joaquim produced a sword from behind his back, swinging it with skill. ‘Will you comply? Will you apologize and ask the Lord for forgiveness?’
In response, the senior guard charged at Joaquim.
The Jesuit blocked the attack with his sword, parrying and moving into a position where he sliced off the guard’s head in one smooth action. Stunned by the priest’s sword skills and the death of their senior guard, the junior guards froze, staring at their superior’s lifeless head.